Project Avalon (episode)
Project Avalon was the ninth episode of Series A of Blake's 7 first broadcast in 1978. Synopsis From VHS release: Travis engineers another deadly plan to destroy Blake and capture the Liberator. Even Servalan believes that it cannot fail and when Blake carries out a rescue he wonders why it's been allowed to succeed. Plot The Liberator is en route to an ice planet to retrieve Avalon, a rebel leader who has been organising the resistance movement on the planet. However, Travis is already there and a traitor in the group, Terloc, has informed him of the cavern where Avalon's people are hiding. Surrounding the rebels, Travis takes Avalon prisoner. The Mutoids then gun down everyone else present, including Terloc. The Liberator arrives in orbit and Blake and Jenna teleport down to the site of the massacre. They discover a lone survivor, Chevner, who tells them Avalon was captured. They elect to attempt a rescue and Vila teleports down to help them. With the Liberator under threat from interceptors, Avon elects to temporarily take it out of teleport range. Servalan arrives on the planet to observe Travis' latest plan to capture the Liberator. She brings with her a virus capsule that forms part of the plan. Travis tests the virus on a prisoner: It kills him in seconds with a lethal fungal infection. Blake's group manage to take a guard prisoner and have him take them to the cell area. At the last minute, he raises the alarm and after a brief struggle one of the guards escapes. Blake and Vila retrieve Avalon from her cell while Jenna and Chevner engage the Federation troopers in a gun battle. Despite being under heavy fire and both Blake and Avalon being hit, they make it out of the base, by which point the Liberator is back on station to teleport them aboard. Blake examines the troopers' guns and realises they only had reduced power. Someone wanted them to escape, probably to capture the Liberator, meaning Avalon or Chevner is a plant. In sickbay, the crew find Cally unconscious and Avalon and Chevner missing. The crew begin a search. Jenna goes back to check on Cally, at which point Chevner staggers in, badly injured, and collapses. Avalon asks Gan to get her tunic, then produces a virus capsule from it. Jenna appears and shouts that she isn't Avalon. Gan struggles with the imposter, in reality an android. Blake and Vila appear and together they overpower it: It killed Chevner because he suspected the truth. Blake directs Avon to reprogramme it. Travis is stunned by the news the Liberator has returned to orbit and Blake has teleported down into the base. Blake has both the android Avalon and the virus capsule with him and threatens to smash it if the real Avalon isn't released. Servalan orders Travis to comply. Blake hands the capsule to the android, then he and Avalon teleport up to the Liberator. Travis catches the capsule as the android drops it but Servalan informs him he is relieved of his command pending an enquiry. Cast * Roj Blake - Gareth Thomas * Avon - Paul Darrow * Vila - Michael Keating * Jenna - Sally Knyvette * Gan - David Jackson * Cally - Jan Chappell * Zen - Peter Tuddenham * Travis - Stephen Grief * Servalan - Jacqueline Pearce * Avalon - Julia Vidler * Chevner - David Bailie * Mutoid - Glynis Barber * Scientist - John Baker * Terloc - John Rolfe * Guard - David Sterne * Guard - Mark Holmes Crew *Writer - Terry Nation *Script editor - Chris Boucher *Designer - Chris Pemsel *Director - Michael E. Briant *Producer - David Maloney * Stunt Co-ordinator - Frank Maher, Stuart Fell * Production Assistant - Victor Mallett * Production Unit Manager - Sheelagh Rees * Film Cameraman - Ken Willicombe * Film Recordist - John Gatland * Film Editor - David Martin * Series Videotape Editors - Sam Upton (Uncredited), Malcolm Banthorpe (Uncredited) * Visual Effects Designer - Ian Scoones, Mat Irvine * Electronic Effects - A.J. Mitchell * Graphics Designer - Bob Blagden * Studio Lighting - Brian Clemett * Studio Sound - Tony Millier * Special Sound - Richard Yeoman-Clark * Costume Designer - Barbara Lane, Rupert Jarvis * Make Up Artist - Marianne Ford * Music By - Dudley Simpson * Series Devised By - Terry Nation Story notes *Glynis Barber, who appears as the principal Mutoid in this episode, later returned to the show in the fourth season in the regular role of Soolin. Ratings 9.7M Filming locations Milton Quarry, Wells, Somerset. Wookey Hole, near Wells. Production errors To be added. Continuity * Among the prisoners in the Centre are Istar, Hend, Raiker, Kalor and Pelar. * Travis states that he could have killed Blake twice if he hadn't been instructed to leave the Liberator intact. This could refer to his on-screen encounters with the Liberator crew in Seek-Locate-Destroy and Duel but it doesn't seem an accurate description of events so may refer to off-screen encounters. It is notable that at the end of Duel Travis was pursuing the Liberator, yet here he is already on the planet waiting for Blake to arrive. Quotes Blake: Does it support any intelligent life? Avon: Does the Liberator? Vila: I've got a weak chest. Avon: The rest of you's not very impressive. Vila: I'm tired of being indispensable. Travis: It's not a pleasant death, Blake. Blake: So I gather. But it would have its compensations. I'd share it with you. Home video releases * In edited form as part of compilation video Duel in 1986. * Original BBC video release (Volume 5) in 1991. * Fabulous Films video reissue (Volume 5) on 26 May 1998. * DVD release as part of the Series 1 box set on 1 March 2004. External links * Category:Series A episodes